asclepias

noun

as·​cle·​pi·​as ə-ˈsklē-pē-əs, a- 

1

capitalized : a genus (family Asclepiadaceae) of perennial herbs found chiefly in North America with flowers having a corona of five concave hoods each of which bears a slender horn see butterfly weed, milkweed

2

: any plant of the genus Asclepias

3

: the dried root of the butterfly weed formerly used as a diaphoretic and expectorant

called also pleurisy root